NASA Mars Lander's Robotic Arm shuts down to save its self

Yesterday I read an article from PC World about NASA Mars Lander's robotic arm shutting down its self to avoid getting hurt which would make its situation worse.
The Mars Lander found its self on a very crucial situation during execution of its mission. After receiving commands from NASA's command center, the robotic arm decided to shutdown its self instead of compromising and getting its wrist into a bad shape. Further details of the story can be found in this link: http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;593684490 .
I just get so excited whenever I get to read news such as this. It has always been a dream of mine to be a robotics engineer. I get so amazed by how a robot could execute the commands given to it by its developer. So far I don't have yet a comprehensive plan on how I am going to pursue this dream of mine. Still, I believe there is always a time for everything under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 3:1) :]
If there is anyone out there who could help me on this, please do kindly lend me a hand by sharing your knowledge. I would greatly appreciate it :]

Continually learning,
Jep